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I think this sentence sounds a little stitled. Wouldn't you agree?



 
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In the end vs. at last | What does "performers" mean?
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I think this sentence sounds a little stitled. Wouldn't you agree? #1 (permalink) Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:24 am   I think this sentence sounds a little stitled. Wouldn't you agree?
 

Test No. incompl/advan-17 "At the Computer", question 7

It's a really clever piece of software because it enables you to ......... on your screen all the information in columns.

(a) illustrate
(b) depict
(c) display
(d) delineate

Test No. incompl/advan-17 "At the Computer", answer 7

It's a really clever piece of software because it enables you to display on your screen all the information in columns.

Correct answer: (c) display
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This sentence feels a little stilted. Shouldn't it instead read "It's a really clever piece of software because it enables you to *display* all the information in columns on your screen."?
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Stilted? #2 (permalink) Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:50 am   Stilted?
 

.
Not particularly stilted, Editfish. Both arrangements are acceptable. Yours, if it is not read carefully, suggests that the columns are already on the screen.

There is also a use in placing information at the end of a sentence, where it receives more attention. The writer here perhaps wished to stress information rather than screen.
.
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Stilted #3 (permalink) Fri Nov 11, 2005 11:03 am   Stilted
 

Hi Editfish,

Thank you for your comments. It's always interesting to hear what people think of the style of the sentences and I must admit on re-reading this one, I agree that it possibly doesn't flow all that well. Perhaps I should have written this:

It's a really clever piece of software because it enables you to display all the information on your screen by means of/in the form of columns.

Alan
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